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Boeing P-8A Poseidon T2 Successfully Completes 1st Flight

SEATTLE, June 5, 2009 – Boeing P-8A Poseidon test aircraft T2 takes off from Renton Field today to begin its successful first flight. T2 took off at 10:32 a.m. Pacific time and landed two hours and 56 minutes later at Boeing Field in Seattle at 1:28 p.m.

The flight plan for T2, painted in its new U.S. Navy livery, included a flyby of Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Wash., to give Navy personnel a close-up look at the Poseidon. The Navy is purchasing 117 P-8As to replace its fleet of P-3Cs.

The anti-submarine warfare aircraft reached a maximum altitude of 25,000 feet as pilots performed airborne systems checks such as engine accelerations and decelerations, autopilot flight modes and auxiliary power unit shutdowns and starts.

T2 is the third of five test aircraft being assembled and tested as part of the System Development and Demonstration contract that Boeing received in 2004. T1, the program’s first test aircraft, completed its first flight on April 25.

P-8A (Boeing Photo)

The P-8A Poseidon is a long-range anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft. It possesses an advanced mission system that ensures maximum interoperability in the future battle space. Capable of broad-area maritime, and littoral operations, the P-8A will influence how the U.S. Navy’s maritime patrol and reconnaissance forces train, operate and deploy.

On board P-8A, all sensors contribute to a single fused tactical situation display, which is then shared over both military standard and internet protocol data links, allowing for seamless delivery of information amongst U.S. and coalition forces. As an armed platform, P-8A independently closes the kill chain, while simultaneously providing data to everyone on the network.

The P-8A is a derivative of the highly successful and reliable Next-Generation 737. The P-8A has the fuselage of a 737-800 and the wings of a 737-900. Modifications to the baseline commercial aircraft are incorporated into the aircraft in-line. In the past, commercial aircraft were sent to modification centers where they were taken apart and rebuilt to meet military specifications. The P-8A is Boeing’s first military derivative aircraft to incorporate structural modifications to the aircraft as it moves through the commercial line.

P-8A in navy paint (Boeing Photo)

The Navy plans to purchase 108 P-8As. Initial operational capability is scheduled for 2013. In January 2009 Boeing was selected to provide eight P-8I long-range maritime reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare aircraft to the Indian navy. India is the first international customer for the P-8. Boeing believes there are numerous other opportunities for international sales to countries currently operating P-3s or similar maritime patrol aircraft. Interest has been expressed by many countries including Australia and Italy.

The P-8A is being developed by a Boeing-led team that consists of CFM International, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, GE Aviation and Spirit AeroSystems.

An industry leader in large-scale systems integration, Boeing provides unrivaled expertise in customizing military and commercial products for maritime forces. Boeing is completing final assembly of the P-8A in Renton, Wash., taking advantage of the proven efficiencies, manufacturing processes and performance of the existing Next-Generation 737 production system.